Mahamri was founded in London in 2019 by two sisters, from a shared love for cooking and feeding those we love most. It began as supper clubs hosted around long, communal tables, introducing the flavours of East Africa, a cuisine which represents an intricate amalgamation of cultures that traded along its coast.
In 2020, our paths took us in different directions. One returned home to Kenya to establish a bakery @Tandeli, while Mahamri remained in London. With the arrival of the pandemic, the communal tables temporarily disappeared and Mahamri adapted into a meal delivery service.
In January 2020, another chapter began with hosting meditation retreats in Kenya, rooted in the Buddhist traditions. Food remained integral to the practice and experience of each retreat, which have continued regularly since.
Over time, these two strands of Mahamri - food and meditation, have come together as one.
A Personal History
Sonali has worked as a chef in London for the past seven years, in the renowned kitchens of Ottolenghi, Michelin-starred Lyle’s and BiBi, as well as collaborating with chefs across England.
She began practising meditation in 2018 and has since been studying under the guidance of Buddhist teachers, including Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. She maintains a daily practice and has undertaken a number of personal retreats, including a 30-day silent retreat in 2019.
Meditation has had a profound impact on her life, and from early in her own practice, she felt strongly about making these teachings accessible to others, while remaining true to the traditions they come from. This intention is at the heart of the retreats and workshops she has been bringing to the world since 2020.
For Sonali, food is not simply an accompaniment to the retreats, but an integral part of the practice. And it is for this reason that food and meditation are given equal care and attention at the retreats.